A common construction technique for a solid state relay with power semiconductors is to solder the semiconductors on two pieces of rectangular metal (lead frame), typically made of copper, which are soldered to a single piece of ceramic, typically aluminum oxide (alumina). Typically, the metal is long and narrow—usually the width closely coincides with the width of the semiconductor chip. The ceramic is then attached to a base plate, typically aluminum. The solder connection between the lead frame and the alumina substrate is subject to failure through cracks and separations during temperature cycling while under load. The present invention increases the life of such solder junctions subjected to temperature cycling while under load.